Category: Chicken

Have you ever watched videos about Pyrex dishes exploding? It’s intense. I haven’t had one shatter [thankfully!], but I don’t usually bake with glass. If you do use Pyrex and have no idea what I’m talking about, it might be worth looking into.

That ends your PSA for the day.

Now on to buffalo chicken dip! Frank’s Red Hot is a really bizarre flavor. I like it and feel weirdly addicted to it when it’s around [which is next to never]. I think it’s that vinegar bite. I cringe almost instantly and then settle in for that spicy flavor. The idea of putting it in a dip with a cream-style base mellows out the vinegar just enough that I want to just eat it by the spoonful. That happened a lot.

The base really doesn’t have any cheese in it even though it looks like it. It was magic. It’s all that “cheeze” or cheese-like stuff. It’s actually kind of close — closer than any of the other fake cheese things I’ve tried. I wanted something that I could eat a ton of without worrying about the effects of it. When you’re eating it like a soup, I really didn’t need a bunch of cream. The chicken is also optional, but totally a nice addition. Give me all the protein! I used shredded, but looking back, I’d probably use ground chicken next time. The consistency of the dip can be a little thin, and it was really not all that easy to scoop out the mixture and pull out equal parts chicken and “cheeze.” Speaking of dipping, the celery was challenging. Maybe less so had I used the ground chicken. Chopping it up into the dip would be cool, too. The blue cheese would have been a stellar addition, but would have rendered it full of dairy. I should have served it on the side. WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Preparation

Add all of the ingredients up to the Ranch dressing mix to a blender or food processor. Start with a cup of water. Blend until smooth. Continue to add more water to your desired consistency. I used a full 2 cups of water, which is why mine ended up so runny. I’d use less next time.

I made this blueberry slab pie with rye crust for a pie contest at work a couple of weeks ago. [Sidenote: I was originally going to say a week ago, but then I remembered I have no idea how much time elapses anymore. It was at least two, going on three. Time flies!] We were having a Thanksgiving themed dinner and thought it a good idea to have people make pies. Mine didn’t have a lattice top because the dough turned out a little too dry for that. Besides, it looked like a giant pop tart. Way cooler. It was really good. The rye had a savory note that played off the sweet, mellowing it out. I really liked it. It didn’t win because frankly giant blueberry rye pop tart doesn’t win. Chocolate cream does. I really just wanted an excuse to make the pie. It all got eaten that night except for one piece, which I happily ate for breakfast the next day.

This bowl of brussels and chorizo is a dangerous one. If I’m not careful, I can easily eat the entire pan. I was thinking about these brussels this weekend. There are still brussels in the grocery store. We live in a world where we have year-round produce, and I’m still surprised. The original recipe calls for cured Spanish chorizo sliced thin. I went with the ground chicken chorizo for a little more of a spicy kick and I wanted the brussels to bathe in the rendered chicken fat. Using a cast iron skillet to do the dirty work leaves a nice char to the brussels. They’re super tender on the inside and a bit spicy — a winning combination. I put them on a bed of couscous for something different, but really they’re just fine on their own. I could go for a bowl of them right now. And a piece of pie.

Ingredients

1lb brussels sprouts, halved or quartered depending on the size

1/2lb ground chorizo

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the brussels and cook until tender, about six minutes. Transfer them to an ice bath to stop them from turning to mush. After about five minutes, drain them and set aside.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Toss the onion into the pan. Stir occasionally. Once it’s soft and translucent, add the chorizo and crumble. Once it’s almost cooked, add the brussels and garlic to the pan. Toss to coat in the rendered fat. Cook until heated through. Taste for salt and pepper.

I’m such a tostada hater. I also spell toastada tostada wrong on the first time through nearly every single time. They’re good. I do like them. I like the crunch. I have a soft spot for Taco Bell Crunchwraps that I don’t indulge in and haven’t in years. But you take one glorious bite of that wonderful pile of Mexican goodness and the tragically fragile toastada tostada shell shatters into about seven hundred pieces and you now have a glorified taco salad on your hands [lap?].

Sidenote: I really had no idea what I was getting into with making a crockpot full of chicken. Chicken in a crockpot can get expensive. Unless you’re finding a good deal on it, buying three pounds of chicken at New Seasons isn’t exactly cheap [but it’s so good!]. It wouldn’t be so bad if it would last longer than two meals, but in this house? Leftovers aren’t really a thing.

The key to this chicken is the “zesty” Italian dressing. Zesty and Italian dressing is kind of redundant, isn’t it?

Sidetone: I can’t read/write/say the word zest without thinking of this commercial. It was made in the 80s. Of course it was.

The dressing is the key to all the flavor. I also added a ton teaspoon of cayenne pepper [Surprised? Me neither]. I think next time I’d split the chicken into 50/50 breasts and thighs. Thighs always retain moisture. The breasts still fell apart and shredded easily once they’ve cooked low and slow in the crockpot for hours, but I’m kind of a sucker for chicken thighs. More flavor. A lot of the chicken was eaten before we’d even opened the package of tostadas. Have I talked about this bean dip yet? It’s fan-freakin’-tastic. Any time I’m making anything remotely Mexican, I’m buying this. I spread it on everything. I eat it by the spoonful. It’s such a nice texture and has good spice for something off a grocery store shelf. This was the glue on the base of my tostada. I was convinced it’d help hold it together [it didn’t]. I ate one topped with fresh romaine, guacamole, and some fresh shredded queso fresco. After that, I just made a salad out of it and broke the shell into chips. That’s way more my style.

Preparation

In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients [except the chicken]. Layer the chicken in the bottom of a crockpot. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on low for 6-8 hours. I had to leave mine in for closer to 9 and it didn’t dry out. It should leave a little bit of of the sauce, but if you shred it in the crockpot and let it sit for another 15-30 minutes, it’ll soak right up.

This bread! I have to tell you about this bread. I made it for the Super Bowl because snacks are all I care about. I go to parties for the company food because eating is my favorite hobby. If you follow on Instagram, you saw the ridiculous spread of stuff of at my parents’ house. The dining table was packed full of food and then there was pulled pork, chili, and clam chowder on the stove. So. Much. Good. Stuff.

Picking what to make for social gatheringsget-togethers parties is equal parts awesome and overwhelming. There are so many choices. I had a whole bunch of things in mind like Pan Roasted Clams with Potatoes and Fennel, Cheddar and Horseradish Dip, and Green Chile Posole. Then Food52 posted this bread on Facebook or something and it was a done deal. New Seasons makes that obscenely good ground chicken chorizo that was perfect for this. The only substitution I made was trying out Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free (GF) flour blend. They don’t kid that it’s a 1:1 tradeoff. I would have had no idea it was a GF flour both in mixing or in the final product. If you’re toying with trying it for you or someone you want to bake for, it’s not a bad idea. It’s not cheap by flour standards, but I don’t bake a lot so it wasn’t a big loss.

The rest of the recipe I followed to a tee. Even the sifting. I never sift a dang thing, but I didn’t want to risk it with the new flour. The result was a deliciously cake-y corn bread. It’s definitely moist, but it has chorizo, cottage cheese, and buttermilk in it. For some reason the majority of the spice baked right out of the chorizo. Every now and then you get a spicy bite, but it’s definitely not constant despite there being a lot of chorizo in there. Since it’s not corn season, I just thawed a bag of frozen corn and used that. I left the bag in my fridge overnight. I was afraid they’d get soggy, but they didn’t.

I’d absolutely make this again. It was great by itself, under a pile of chili or pulled pork, and soon to be smothered in a poached egg. Poached eggs make everything better.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°. Prep a 9×9 or 11×7 pan with cooking spray or butter.

Brown the chorizo in a skillet on medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate. Add the onion to the chorizo grease left in the pan. Stir occasionally. Let the onion soften an start to brown. The little charred bits of greasy onion are pretty awesome. Remove the onion to the chorizo pile once cooked.

In a large bowl, use a sieve and pour in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Tap the side of the sieve over the bowl until everything goes through. Push any lumps if you have any. Add the cornmeal and salt. Make a well and add the remaining ingredients, including the chorizo and onion. Stir until evenly distributed and all the flour is wet. This should be thick and relatively dry.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and level out. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is browned and the top is springy beneath your touch. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares and eating. It’s great cold or warm.

Before I make good on my promise of a crock pot recipe, can we just talk about The People’s Pig for a minute? Not the cart [even though the cart is awesome, too]. I want to talk about their new brick and mortar BBQ spot. I’m just going to say it’s taken the place of the best BBQ in Portland for me. It’s not a large menu, but it’s a good one. Pork and chicken and a handful of sides. The portions are ridiculous [as it should be for BBQ], and the flavor is out of this world. The smoked pork isn’t quite pulled but isn’t quite slabs and it has the most unbelievable char in spots reminiscent of the burnt ends you can get in Kansas City. It’s fall apart tender. The sauce comes on the side for your smothering pleasure. The greens are braised in a deliciously meaty braising liquid. The ribs are fall off the bone tender with a lovely pink smoked color and equal parts deliciously smoky char. I’m in love with this place. It looks like a little country hole-in-the-wall. The kind of place that you don’t feel ironic or kitschy drinking out of a mason jar. It’s freaking awesome.

Anyway, enough waxing poetic about BBQ. Let’s talk about another pot of meaty deliciousness [sorry, not sorry vegetarian friends]. I haven’t made a whole lot of Indian food, but I eat my fair share of it from food carts downtown. This tastes kind of legitimate, which is all I really care about. Does it taste good? Authentic is secondary. I went full on fat with the dairy. I know I really shouldn’t be eating it, but if I am going to, it’s going to be worth while. Full-fat Fage Greek yogurt and some organic heavy cream. The goods. It all comes together unbelievably easy. I made the sauce the night before and let the flavors meld together all night and then put everything in the crockpot in the morning. I really feel bad making crock pot meals sometimes because Andrew works from home and has to smell it cooking all day. My guilt is assuaged when I get a text message on the way home from work that he tested it [quality control!] and tells me how good it is. We’re even.

The chicken is pretty tender. I wish I would have used chicken thighs, and I will next time. Chicken breasts just have a tendency to dry out a little more, even when bathing in a mess of dairy for hours. I whipped up some rice and steamed spinach and called it a meal. A damn good one, too.

Preparation

In a bowl mix together all ingredients from the onion to the cracked pepper. Let it sit overnight in the fridge if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. When you’re ready to start the crockpot, pour half of the mixture into the bottom of it. Add the chicken chunks and pour the rest of the mixture on top. Add the bay leaves. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

When the time is up, test to make sure the chicken is fall apart tender. Whisk together the cream and cornstarch in a separate container. Pour the cream into the crockpot. Stir to incorporate throughout. Remove the bay leaves. Let the mixture cook for another 20 minutes before serving.

So after last week’s post about lusting after a mandolin, one showed up at my house. A special thank you Andrew to the person in my life who is way better at pulling the trigger at buying things than I am. I haven’t used it yet, but I will. The blades are just as intimidating as I had anticipated, but that won’t stop me. I just need an excuse to use it.

It’s soup/stew/comfort food weather again. The last bits of summer disappeared right before the end of the month. It’s never that nice throughout October, but I’ll take it. I already miss it. Sunny and cool is my favorite. I know I’m in the wrong place for that, but it makes it when it happens that much sweeter. I’ve taken to living in my lined rain boots since the streets don’t drain nearly as well as they should. My wool coat is out in full force. I know I really don’t need to be wearing it yet, not all the time at least, but I can’t help it. I’m all in.

This was another attempt at putting something in the slow cooker the night before, cooking it while I sleep, so it’s ready when I wake up. Of course this does nothing for my quality of sleep. I’m partially smelling the food which smells awesome and wakes me up, and I’m partially freaking out that it’s going to burn. It did. Almost. It started running out of water, silly beans. They were fine ultimately. A slightly smokey flavor is a nice addition. Without adding a ton of water, I was never going to puree this, which is fine. I prefer chunky, stew-like texture. Later that evening, I browned some ground chicken for an extra protein boost. Not thinking about the color difference, it looked like I was folding in popcorn to the mix. Odd.

I piled it high on a baked potato because that seemed like the thing to do. Dunking some bread probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Top liberally with sliced green onions. Sour cream/yogurt optional.

Preparation

Rinse the beans under cold water and pick out any substandard looking beans or pebbles. Place them in the slow cooker along with all of the ingredients through the water. Stir to combine. Turn the slow cooker on high for 6-8 hours. Check the mixture for additional water. You don’t want it to dry out. The beans should be nice and soft. When it’s done cooking, brown the ground chicken in a separate pan. Stir into the beans. Top with green onions.

It’s already been a year since visiting Asia. Time Hop has done a great job of reminding me, showing the photos and check-ins from the three weeks spent in Thailand and Cambodia. I thought I would need longer than a year to detox from the sensual assault that was Asia, but here I am already thinking about going back. The Thai food we’ve been eating is definitely stirring that desire a little more than normal. The Mark Wiens videos have been viewed again, and he’s been posting more recipes as well as reviews of restaurants. His video of this dish absolutely prompted its making. The Tom Yum soup is on deck at some point. It’s easy. It has to be if you’re going to make it quickly from a road-side cart. The key is getting your hands on the ingredients [kaffir lime leaves] or making them yourself [curry paste]. Well stocked “ethnic aisles” in the store or even straight-up Asian markets make this pretty dang easy. In a perfect world, I’d make my own curry paste, but it just wasn’t happening. The thing is with pre-made curry paste is salt. Holy hell is it salty. In a traditional curry, the coconut milk takes care of that sodium. In this dish, there is nothing to help tone that salt down. Tread lightly if you don’t make your own. Start low and then make up a batch of rice to help with what saltiness is left.

When you get that magical balance, it’s just freakin’ delicious. It comes together so quickly, which is perfect for hungry stomachs that just don’t want to wait. The smell of this as it cooks is so hunger inducing, you’ll be thankful it’s just a quick stir fry.

I didn’t go out of my way to find the Chinese long beans. Plain ol’ green beans will do. Frying an egg on top is optional, but let’s just call it necessary because it should be. Keep the fish sauce and sugar around. I started low when I stir fried it up, and then added more to my plate as I ate.

Preparation

Add the tablespoon of oil to a large pan or wok on low heat. Toss in your curry paste and stir it into the oil so it soaks it up. Stir often so it doesn’t stick or burn and let it heat up and smell delicious. It’ll darken as it toasts up. It shouldn’t be longer than a minute. Turn the heat up on high and add the chicken. Stir often, coating the chicken in the curry paste. Add about a teaspoon and a half teaspoon of sugar to start. Cook for 2-3 minutes, adding a little bit of water if necessary because it can dry out. When the chicken is fully cooked, add the green beans and lime leaves. Remove from the heat after about 30 seconds so the green beans are still crisp.

I finally made a point of going to the Wednesday farmers market to pick up some eggs. I also picked up some beautiful red and white dahlias. That’s not really the point. The point is eggs. The whole interaction made going for this special egg mission totally worthwhile. The older gentleman sitting at his table of eggs leaped to his feet and thanked me for dressing up to attend the market. I was at lunch during office hours, so I was rocking a pencil skirt, blouse, and heels. I told him it was the least I could do. He picked his favorite dozen of his stock, and promised that I’d enjoy them. You can’t get that kind of interaction at the fridge New Seasons. Flattery will get you everywhere with me.

And I do enjoy them. I love any excuse to use them.

This hash is paleo if that’s your thing. It’s not my thing. I just happen to like all of the ingredients in the bowl. I feel like rutabagas don’t get enough love. They always sit in the produce shelves next to the turnips [which always make me do a double take when I’m trying to make sure I grab one versus the other] and snap peas, and most people walk past them for broccoli or the leeks. The spice mixture is out of this world, too. Curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Using coconut oil versus the bacon grease doesn’t hurt either.

I ended up making the whole batch of hash and just added eggs as necessary for each meal.

Preparation

Make sure you cut the vegetables in a uniform size so everything cooks evenly.

In a large heavy skilled, heat the coconut oil on medium-high heat. Add all of the spices, stirring so the coconut oil is absorbed. Stir often. It’ll start smelling awesome. Add the onion, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for a couple minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the ground chicken, breaking it up as it cooks. After a minute or two, add the rutabaga. Evenly distribute and cover. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer everything for a good 10-15 minutes until the rutabaga is tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook as many eggs as you need, two per person. Poach ’em for all of that yolky goodness.

Like I mentioned before, I’m kind of on a Thai food kick thanks to Sen Yai Noodles. It’s even got us talking about going back to Asia next year. Nothing is set in stone yet, but it’s really fun to think about.

When I go to places like Sen Yai, Chiang Mai, or Tarad, I’m ordering something out of the ordinary from a typical Thai restaurant menu. I’ll eat kuaytiaw khua kai [wide rice noodles stir-fried in rendered pork fat with chicken, cuttlefish, egg, and gren onions served on chopped lettuce] or pad naem woon sen [naem sour pork sausage and marinated ground pork stir-fried with woon sen noodles, egg, tomato, garlic, Thai chili,onion and green onion topped with cilantro]. Other places? Pad kee mao or drunken noodles. 97% of the time that’s what I’m going to order. Medium spice. Unless it’s from Baan Thai downtown. Then it’s mild plus at best. They use the freshest, hottest chilies I’ve ever had in a Thai dish which can be a death sentence if you’re not careful. Luckily they vet you pretty hard if you order anything above a medium.

I never make drunken noodles because I can hardly find the wide rice noodles without going to a specialty market. It’s always pad thai or vermicelli. I gave into the call to make it even with the wrong noodles though. Blame the bag of frozen shrimp. It made me do it. It still tastes like drunken noodles despite the smaller noodles. I think I’m mostly okay with it, but I still prefer the wider ones. If I ever get my hands on some again, I’m stocking up. I couldn’t find the thicker soy sauce the original recipe recommended, so I picked up hoison for the first time. I couldn’t even describe to you what it tastes like before I bought it even though I’m pretty sure I’ve had it a few times. Even still, it’s hard to describe. It’s like soy but more complex. That’s about as descriptive as I can get.

PS – I’m in the market for a new wok. Any suggestions? I’m looking at something like this or this.

Ingredients

12oz rice noodles soaked in warm water for 10-12 minutes until tender then drained

2 tablespoons hoison or thick soy sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 eggs, whisked in a bowl

1 large chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces

12 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 cup basil leaves, packed

Preparation

Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat. While it heats up, whisk together the hoison, soy, oyster, fish and Sriracha in a small bowl. Add the canola oil to the hot skillet. Add the garlic and shallot, stirring to coat in oil and cooking until lightly browned. Add the chicken and cook until mostly cooked through. Add eggs and stir to scramble. Stir in the shrimp. Cook for about two minutes before adding the remaining ingredients, including the noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are reheated and starting to get crispy in spots.

I have to say I’ve never made pesto. I’ve always wanted to. I bookmark recipes for it all the time, especially when they’re non-traditional with things like arugula and pistachios. Yet, I never make it. They sit on the list, then I eventually delete them because I know deep down that I’m probably not going to make it. The fridge New Seasons makes fresh stuff for me, so why would I bother?

It’s almost just as surprising that I made my own skewers when New Seasons has those, too. I buy them more often than not when we’re on a “grill something served with salad” dinner spree. I make skewers so often that I forgot I already bought a package of bamboo skewers. They were buried in the back of the pantry. I guess one can never have too many skewers.

Have you ever had a grilled tomato? Specifically a grilled grape tomato. They get soft and sweet and are ready to burst [assuming they didn’t already] on the grill. Then, when sandwiched between chunks of juicy chicken covered in pesto, they are elevated to some god-like level. It’s unexplainable, so don’t try. Just eat.

For the side, I sautéed some zucchini ribbons in a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Finished it with drizzle of truffle oil. YUM.

PS – I soak my bamboo skewers while I’m making up the other ingredients. Supposedly this helps them from catching on fire. I thought about buying metal ones, but that seems like a recipe for me burning the hell out of myself.

Ingredients

1lb chicken breasts

1 jar of pesto

1/2 pint of grape tomatoes

8-10 bamboo skewers

Preparation

Soak your bamboo skewers in water. Cut up your chicken breasts into uniform, bite-sized pieces. This will help them cook better. Place the cut pieces into a bowl and pour the pesto all over them. Use your hands to make sure every piece is coated. Let them sit for approx. 10-15 minutes [or more if you have the time]. I sliced my zucchini ribbons in the meantime.

Set up a station that to put all of this together. Thread a piece of chicken onto the skewer followed by a grape tomato. Repeat until the skewer is full. I was getting four pieces of chicken and three tomatoes. Highly dependent on the size of your chicken pieces. Repeat until you use up everything. Try not to lick your fingers. Y’know, raw chicken.

Preheat your grill to a medium high heat. Lay them on. Don’t touch for about four minutes before rotating. Cook for an additional four minutes. Remove from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes. Serve.